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In the Pines

This is based on Mark Lanegan’s version (called “Where Did You Sleep Did You Sleep Last Night”) from The Winding Sheet (recorded in 1989, 2 years before Smells Like Teen Spirit would make Cobain famous and 4 years before he would perform it for MTV).

Interestingly (to me, at any rate) Kurt Cobain performed guitar and secondary vocals on Lanegan’s version. When Nirvana performed it for Unplugged in New York, they were really covering Lanegan’s version and not Lead Belly’s version (which says “Black Girl, Black Girl, Don’t Lie to Me”).

Trivia Fun Fact: Cobain was a huge fan of the Screaming Trees and Mark Lanegan, which is why he performed on The Winding Sheet.

Another Trivia Fun Fact: Cobain says that the song was written by Lead Belly, but it wasn’t; it’s an old traditional song from my homeland (the Appalachians). The lyrics change depending on who sings it.

Tuning: Drop D (DADGBe).

The basics are just laid out; as the song gains more energy, start playing the power chord version (e.g., DAD, instead of D). It’s the same for every verse.